It was billed as “Roger Daltrey sings Tommy and other Who classics.” But this was a Who show by any other name and a rare chance to see one of the greatest frontmen in rock history – the real Modfather – do his thing, on his own terms, in a relatively intimate setting.
A cracking band included long-time Who member, Simon Townshend (Pete’s brother) and a Jack White lookalike on guitar, along with a terrific rhythm section and keyboard player. Opening with a pair of powerhouse Who classics ‘I Can See For Miles’ and ‘Pictures Of Lily’, it was clear from the outset that Daltrey was fighting fit, looking barely over 50 (never mind 67) and in terrific voice.
Tommy – the unlikely story of a “deaf, dumb and blind kid” – can be, er, a bit “challenging” at the best of times, even for a die-hard Who fanatic such as yours truly. Daltrey, however, pulled it off magnificently. The better known excerpts from the 1969 opus, ‘Amazing Journey’, ‘We’re Not Going To Take It’ and ‘Sparks’, had the crowd cheering him on, especially when he did his familiar trick of swinging the mic while pirouetting around the stage. On hearing the opening chords to ‘Pinball Wizard’, the crowd went mental and by the time of the anthemic finale, ‘See Me Feel Me/Listening To You’ Daltrey had them in the palm of his hand. But there was still plenty more to come. Highlights of an hour-long encore included a funky, acoustic, ‘Who Are You’, a loose ‘My Generation‘ and a powerfully performed, ‘Young Man Blues’, the Live at Leeds stalwart.

A trio of Who’s Next classics included a gorgeous version of the rock radio staple, ‘Behind Blue Eyes’; the rarely heard but no less brilliant, ‘Going Mobile’; and a storming ‘Baba O’Riley’, no matter that Pete Townshend’s wind-milling power chords were very much missed. An unexpected Johnny Cash medley seemed a tad incongruous but following a nostalgic run through one of The Who’s best early singles, ‘The Kids Are Alright’, a solitary Daltrey strode back out onstage plucking a ukulele on the poignant, ‘Blue, Red & Grey’ from the often overlooked Who By Numbers album.
The perfect ending to a night to remember!